George and Amal Clooney fight hate crime with $1 million donation

By Meaghan Wray

August 23, 2017

Following the tragic events in Virginia earlier this month, philanthropist couple George and Amal Clooney have donated $1 million to help combat extremist violence in America. The donation was given to a non-profit legal advocacy group that aims to target white supremacist organizations in the country.

Many celebrities have spoken out against the violence on Aug 13, which left one woman dead and nearly 20 injured after a car sped through a group of counter protestors.

In a public statement, the dynamic duo said, "We are proud to support the Southern Poverty Law Center in its efforts to prevent violent extremism in the United States. What happened in Charlottesville, and what is happening in communities across our country, demands our collective engagement to stand up to hate."

George told USA Today, "Amal and I wanted to add our voice (and financial assistance) to the ongoing fight for equality,” The Oscar winner also directly addressed a recent statement from President Donald Trump, who said there was violence ‘on many sides,’ by stating, “There are no two sides to bigotry and hate.”

The couple are also lending their support to helping Syrian refugees.

Despite having their hands full with twins, George and Amal have made sure to keep up with their philanthropic endeavours. With the help of their Clooney Foundation for Justice – and its partners Google, HP and UNICEF – the couple has allocated $2.25 million dollars to fund seven schools for Syrian refugees living in Lebanon. The new schools will serve 3,000 Syrian children who are currently seeking refuge in the region. In a country of about 4.5 million, almost one in four people in Lebanon is a refugee today.

In a press release, the Clooneys said, “They have been victims of geography and circumstance, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t hope. Our goal with this initiative is to help provide Syrian refugee children with an education and put them on a path to be the future leaders their generation desperately needs.”

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